Amongst sorting through tons of e-mails, still feeling jet lagged from my vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico, and showing off my golden tan (!), I am happy to be back chatting with you.

…So I’m not quite at the point where I’m considering anti-aging procedures; I am still enjoying my “fountain of youth” at the moment. But a new type of procedure definitely caught my eye: the removal of hand veins. Amongst the more traditional plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation, and bizarre cosmetic surgeries such as “toe shortening,” looks like this is another one to add to the list.

 A relatively new type of cosmetic surgery; this procedure is designed to remove bulging veins from aging hands. By doing this, a plastic surgeon can restore a smoother, rejuvenated quality to the phalanges.

Removal of hand veins seems to be a relatively simple procedure. From what I found, it consists of administering a local anesthetic, making small holes on the back of the hand, and removing several veins with a hook-like instrument. In about an hour or less, the surgery is complete! Because the incisions are so small, a compression garment is used with no stitching needed. Only one hand is performed at a time so that the patient isn’t rendered “helpless” during recovery.

At this point you’re probably wondering, “Aren’t those veins there for a reason?!” Well, not too many of them are removed, and if you’re undergoing this procedure in the first place – I’m guessing you won’t miss them much. Only the prominent veins are taken out, so there is no impairment of blood flow to the hand.

In a September article posted in the Daily Mail, the first three British women who underwent this procedure are interviewed. When describing their experiences, two of the patients explained that they felt nothing during the vein removal, while one said she “could feel an unpleasant tugging sensation.”

Hand vein removal surgery costs a little under $4,000. What do you think? Is it worth the money or just an unnecessary procedure?

~ Leeann